1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an infrared cooking apparatus and more particularly to drip pans for an infrared cooking apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
An infrared cooking apparatus heats food by irradiating it with infrared radiation, rather than by convecting hot air around the food, as is done in a conventional oven. This direct heating sears the surface of the food, sealing more natural juices into the food. The absence of hot air convecting around the food also helps prevent the food from drying out while cooking. The infrared radiation is typically emitted by a refractory material, e.g. ceramic, that has been heated to incandescence. The refractory material may be heated by burning an air/gas mixture at the surface of the material as the mixture passes through holes formed in the material. Infrared emitters may be located below, above or to the side of the food being cooked in an infrared cooker. In infrared grills, which are one type of infrared cooker, the infrared emitter is typically below the food, which can be supported by a grill. Alternatively, the grill may be removed and a spit used to support food over the infrared emitter. In a rotisserie apparatus, the spit rotates along its long axis, rotating the food as it cooks.
As food is cooked, fats and other juices are released from the food. In infrared cookers having the infrared emitter located below the food, these drippings may fall onto the infrared emitter. A small amount of drippings may fall onto the infrared emitter and be vaporized, adding a desirable flavor to the food being cooked. However, a larger amount of drippings falling onto the infrared emitter may cause the juices to burn or flare up, rather than vaporize, adding an undesirable flavor to the food. Large amounts of drippings falling onto the infrared emitter can also clog the holes in the refractory material, or cause ceramic materials to become brittle. In some infrared grills, the grills supporting the food over the infrared emitter have been designed to channel away juices from the food and minimize the amount of drippings falling onto the infrared emitter. While this protects the emitter elements, it prevents the juice from cooking and adding desirable flavoring to the food.
Other attempts to catch drippings have included placing a solid drip pan between the food and the infrared emitter. Such drip pans are shallow and may contain a cooking liquid. This method allows the juices to be cooked individually by the emitter, but because such a drip pan covers the infrared emitter almost completely, it prevents food in a rotisserie apparatus from being cooked by direct infrared radiation thus negating the advantage of using the infrared emitter. Instead, the infrared radiation from the emitter is blocked by the drip pan and thus does not irradiate the food. As a result, the food on the spit is cooked by indirect, convected heat and by steam from the liquid in the drip pan.
As such, many typical drip pans for use in an infrared cooking apparatus suffer one or more shortcomings. Other problems and disadvantages of the prior art will become apparent to one skilled in the art after comparing such prior art with the present invention as described herein.